Adversity
by DisneyGirl10
Summary: *Set in Season 5 Finale* As he watched his former padawan; Ahsoka, walk away from him forever, Anakin blames himself for it with grief and anger, drawing him closer to the dark side and farther away from the light. Can someone help him see things differently and go down a new path set out for him and away from his dark destiny? *Heroes United One-Shot #3*
**Hey guys! One shot #3 here and ready. Also, so tired and hot from typing this.**

 **I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars at all, just my OC. And I hope you enjoy!**

 **P.S. Happy Star Wars Day!**

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 _A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … a galaxy divided! Striking swiftly after the battle of Geonosis, Count Dooku's droid army has seized control of the major hyperspace lanes, separating the Republic from the majority of its clone army. With few clones available, the Jedi generals cannot gain a foothold in the Outer Rim, as more and more planets choose to join Dooku's Separatists. While the Jedi are occupied fighting a war, no one is left to keep the peace. Chaos and crime spread and the innocent become victims in a lawless galaxy. But beneath all the action and suspense of the war, there were always some upsides to fighting a war. Like fighting one alongside someone that changed your life and turned it upside down. Especially if one of them happens to be your apprentice/closest friend. Someone who you share your adventures with, someone you can easily talk to, and someone you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with. Together. The perfect duo._

 _This is the tale of Anakin Skywalker and of how one day of happiness turned into one of pure adversity._

OOO

He stood there for what felt like an eternity. The past few days washed over him like a tidal wave. After leaving Cato Nemodia shortly after saving his hide once again, Anakin and his padawan Ahsoka Tano were called to the Jedi Temple to investigate a bombing in the hanger. Many believed that a Jedi was behind it. Both Jedi were tasked with finding the one responsible. After a long and wild goose chase, they thought they had caught the bomber when said person was choked to death through the Force. And Ahsoka was framed for the crime and accused of being part of the bombing.

No one believed her; not the council, not the clone troopers, not even the Senate thought she was innocent. No one except her master stood by her side. When she escaped the Republic prison, he lost her. When she escaped to the Underworld, he lost her. Even when they finally captured her and took her back to the Temple, the Council expelled her; the decision was made beforehand. Then, she was turned over to the Senate for a proper military trial. To Ahsoka, she felt like all hope was lost. But to Anakin, it was all narrow minded, unfair and all out bullshit!

When Barriss Offee was found guilty of the crime, Anakin defeated her in a duel and turned her in just in time. But even though she was proven her innocence, even though the Council offered her to come back, even though he gave her her padawan braid … in the end … she said no.

" _I'm sorry Master, but I'm not coming back._ "

Those words punched him hard in the chest, knocking the air right out of him. He ran after her, hoping that asking – begging – pleading for her to think it over and stay.

" _The Council didn't trust me. So, how can I trust myself?_ "

" _What about me? I believed in you. I stood by you!_ " He trusted her. From the day that they met on Christophsis, they didn't see eye to eye. But the more time they spent training, fighting and bonding together, the two saw each other in a different light. He believed in her from the very start and nothing could ever change that.

" _I know you believe in me, Anakin. And I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer. Not now._ " How could it _not_ be about him?! Everything that happened involved him! How could she not have seen that they're a team? Skyguy and Snips. Teacher and student. Brother and sister. How could she think that leaving him out like that would make everything better?

It wouldn't! It couldn't! And it shouldn't!

" _The Jedi Order is your life! You can't just throw it away like this! Ahsoka, you are making a mistake!_ "

" _Maybe. But I have to sort this out on my own. Without the Council … and without you._ " It broke his heart to hear her say that. She was really leaving everything behind. The Order. Her friends. And most of all, him. He never once imagined a life where Ahsoka was living her life … and without him in it. He couldn't imagine living his life without Ahsoka either. It was unbearable. It was too painful to think about. But it was happening. And nothing, not the Force, not even he could change her mind.

" _I understand. More than you realize, I understand …wanting to walk away from the Order._ " She had no idea … until …

" _I know._ " He was taken back and stood still in place, unable to move and leave. He just watched at her retreating form going away, down the steps, and into the setting sunset.

She made her choice. She chose to leave. And she did. No matter how badly he wished it weren't true.

When he was finally able to find the strength to move, he walked to the top step that led down the thousand steps. He looked down to see no Togruta in the middle nor the bottom and as he viewed the many floating buildings and ships that made up the vast city, he could see nor sense her anywhere. Anakin crumpled over and almost fell down the massive staircase, falling to his knees and grimacing.

Ahsoka was gone. For good.

"No." He grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled on it roughly. "No!" He banged on the stone ground, bashing it with all his might and it left some mighty cracks that spread. "NO!" He roared out and hot tears leaked out of his squeezing eyelids and down his cheeks, water splattering on the ground. He heaved and begged and cried, letting out every single emotion he kept contained inside him for who knows how long. Anakin was a Jedi that couldn't control the emotions inside him. Whether it was anger because the Council still couldn't dub him as a Jedi Master believing that he was still unprepared and reckless, or frustration for wanting the war to end sooner rather than later, or attraction to his beloved wife and fellow Senator Padme Amidala when he knows that marriage is forbidden for a Jedi.

But he didn't care. Not anymore. Not when this war – the blasted council – all those traitors turned their backs on her. Even Obi-Wan was too much of a coward to stand by her side. Anakin never felt more betrayal and mistrust than when they were under the Jedi trial and how he wanted to Force blast them all away from harming his Snips. Never had Anakin felt so hopeless, so lost, so tortured in anger, fear and hate.

The traits of the dark side.

He could feel himself draw closer to it than ever before. Keeping balance between dark and light was something Anakin lacked in. And it was hard to control himself. But when anger consumed him, there was no telling what he would do. Anakin growled like a beast and cried out in pain and grief, wanting everything and everyone to leave him alone and let him be in peace.

However, that was not what the Force had in mind.

Suddenly, two hands touched his shoulders, startling him. He tried pushing them away but whoever it was dodged him and then, two arms wrapped around his waist and hugged him from behind. They were durable and strong and they weren't planning on letting him go. He tried to rip them off of him but those arms resisted his iron grasp. "Let go of me!" He lashed out.

"No way." It was a girl's voice, younger than Ahsoka by a year but it was laced with authority, just like Padme's.

"I said, LET GO OF ME!" He roared out and tried shaking her off when he felt his arms pinned to his sides and she kicked his leg where his knee was. He growled out in pain and fell down on one knee and then she pushed him down hard enough to make him go down on the other. He had to admit, whoever this was, she was indeed strong. Anakin tried using the Force to free himself. But when he did, he was surprised when it wasn't working with him, but rather – against him. "What the hell?!"

"I'm much stronger and more experienced. More or less. Now, are you ready to calm down or do I have to embarrass you more for having your butt handed to you by moi?" Anakin gritted at her but he couldn't see much. Just a brown tunic, black sleeves and leggings, a metal belt and dark brown boots. He felt himself getting drained of using so much energy all day. "Calm down, it is then."

"Who are you? What do you want?" He bit out.

"I want to help you."

"I don't want your help! I don't want anything!"

"You want Ahsoka back." She stated. Anakin swore he could see red. He tried hitting her or shoving her off with much more heat and intense, quick movements, but she hung on. "Hey! Calm down! I didn't mean to upset you! I just want to help you!"

"You can't help me! No one can! NO ONE!"

"Well, not everyone is like the Council." He stopped fighting back. "Not everyone believes the narrow-minded view of the Jedi, but not everyone has the strength to be brave enough to stand up for what they believe and pursue it until the very end. Ahsoka was the same way. Even through all that, in the end, she made her choice. And you have to accept what's meant to be." Anakin wanted to tell her she was wrong, but his heart weighed him down to ground level. He leaned over and closed his eyes, letting a few more tears out.

"I couldn't save her. I failed her. I failed her and I let her go." He croaked out, his voice slurred with sobs.

She frowned at seeing him in such a ruined state. She loosened her grip and hoped he wouldn't try to break free. Luckily, he didn't. That's when he pulled something out of his robe's pocket. It was Ahsoka's braid. He looked at its pristine, shiny beauty. It was precious, just like Ahsoka. A one of a kind being, now long gone. He clutched it, gripping it tightly. "It was all my fault. I should have gone with her. I should have stayed with her. I …"

"You did everything you could. You tried with all your power to help her, and you did. It just … went down a different course."

"How could I let her go? How could I have let all this hell happen?!" He shouted out, feeling weaker.

"You can't save everyone, Anakin." He turned away from her. "But you can't let this overcome. The dark side … it's calling to you. It's using your anger and hurt to draw you closer to it. You mustn't let this happen. You are better than this. You're stronger, braver, confident, and more of a man and a hero than everyone else in that temple combined. You're not just a Jedi, Anakin. You're a hero. One that has gone through so much misery, suffering, and loss. But in the end, you shouldn't let that define you because you have the courage to overcome anything that comes your way. Adversity is one of the most important traits of being a hero."

Anakin felt himself calm down the more she spoke softly in his ear, her warm breath making him feel weird but alright.

"Anakin … you're my hero. As you are one to Ahsoka. And you will always be one in our eyes."

He felt his heart stop.

He could tell the way she said it with her voice. Such kindness, gentleness and trust. He would know that voice anywhere.

She smiled and leaned her head on his back, hugging him more. "And no matter what happens, no matter how badly things start to get, never forget who you are." He felt something being put in his left hand. It felt metallic but small. "I know I could never forget you." He felt her arms withdrawing and he was soon free. He gasped and let in and out some cool air. "We'll meet again. And I promise you … everything will soon change."

Anakin quickly turned around to see no one there. He couldn't sense anyone nearby either. He then chose to look down at his palm to find a silver charm bracelet there with only one silver charm. It was the symbol for the Jedi Order, colored in blue. He was confused as to what it was for when he could the light side tickling him, basking him in its safety as he felt the dark side dimming and the light side growing. He chuckled for the first time in a while and started to feel less dreary and stressed and more at ease, or not pissed, that's for sure.

He turned to the sunset, wondering where in the Force had his padawan – his former padawan and friend went. For now, it was best to wonder about that some other time. Now, it was time to rest. But maybe going back to the Temple wasn't such a good idea. Padme's apartment – _their_ apartment sounded better. Reluctantly, he turned away from the historic building and went down the steps, not able to sense the figure watching from above on top of of the roofs on the temple.

"I promise you, Anakin, I _will_ make this right. It may not be easy, but I'll do whatever it takes to set things straight. Away from the dark side and straight to the light."

The sun's shine masked her vanishing and Anakin put both the bracelet and the braid in his pocket, hoping that mystery girl wasn't pulling his leg. But he knew that one way or another, he would see Ahsoka again, no matter what. He could feel it in the Force.

Something was coming.

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 **I may edit this later. Anyway ...**

 **Coming up with something that sums up everything I felt when Ahsoka left was so hard. Watching to videos and watching Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Finale sort of helped me out.**

 **Also, trying for an emotionally wrecked Anakin took some time to work out. So, adversity is the definition for Anakin: a hero that has been through so much that having the courage to conquer it and move on is a struggle. The pain, the loss, the torture, all of that turned Anakin into Darth Vader in the first place. And adversity could have also been his savior if he chose a different path. Maybe Ahsoka, Padme, and possibly Obi-Wan could have tried harder to make him see that.**

 **Okay, I am poofed out! So, fave, follow, review and be prepared for One-Shot#4.**

 **Until then, bye guys! And May the Forth be with you! ;D**


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